Lisa and I went on a long bike ride yesterday to Delray Beach and back. By long, I mean 9 miles each way. I’m not absolutely sure why this was hard for me. We used to do 30-mile bike rides fairly easily.

I think it had something to do with the wind in our faces, the backpack full of glass tupperware on my back, the high heat, the excessive humidity, my uncomfortable seat (if you’re a dude, you know what I mean), and the fact that the backpack straps are positioned in such a way that my hands would go numb after about two miles.

It was hard. We had fun once at Delray Beach, but the ride back especially was not fun for me. Lisa had fun, though. She wasn’t even tired… Cardio freak. 🙂

For the last three weeks, I’ve been refining my own version of Layne Norton‘s PHAT (Power Hypertrophy Adaptive Training) lifting methodology. Essentially, it has you doing two days of heavy (around 5 rep) lifting and then three days of hypertrophy (around 10-15 rep) lifting per week.

My only tweaks were to make it slightly more applicable to real-life movements and put a stronger emphasis on single-legged movements. Also, I’m not a fan of 15-20 rep sets, so I try not to go over 14. I’ll do a later write-up explaining this in more detail.

The results from the last three weeks? 0.38lbs of muscle gain and 1.78lbs of fat loss. At least that’s what the 7-site body fat caliper protocol says.

There is a recurring pattern that I find in my life, and it’s that I expect a lot out of myself in a little amount of time. I know this is the current theme in our culture where we want something, and we want it now. I take this concept and apply it to myself. When I’m learning how to draw, if I don’t get it on the first picture, then I figure I’ll never get it. If I make a mistake at my job (I’m a physical therapy assistant), then I feel like I know nothing about what I do (even though I was the top of my class). I expect to do everything perfectly the first time and give myself no room for error. The main thing I forget is that things take time. Continue reading →

It was a good day. Sadly, I was a little thrown off by the fact that I couldn’t ride my bike today. The back tire was flat with a small piece of glass in it. Somehow, I didn’t notice the exact moment when I got the glass stuck in there. It’s not like I live in a slum or anything, but there are often broken shards of glass on the sidewalks. I’m just thankful the air pressure held up long enough for me to ride back home from wherever the glass was.

Regardless, I still got in a bunch of sets for the pulling musculature. 🙂 Continue reading →

Lifting weights is a source of empowerment.Photo credit to Larry Lyday.

Weight lifting is NOT just to look good!

That’s one of the biggest myths that float around the American health and fitness scene. I’ve even heard trainers say it.

Weight lifting is far more about creating long-term enjoyment of life. It’s a major player in preventing diseases like heart disease, obesity, diabetes, and osteoporosis. It’s also a massive factor in how long you will be able to maintain your independence as you age.

Lastly, yes. A strong physique is an attractive physique. It’s a huge plus, but it’s not the main reason you should be lifting weights. Your health and fitness are the main reasons you should be lifting. Continue reading →

Well, 25 sets of ten reps later, I can feel the soreness coming tomorrow. At the same time, it felt good to get out some of my frustration at recently losing muscle mass.

The decision to do this was largely based on a recent article in one of the journals that we receive from the National Strength and Conditioning Association. My NSCA certified friends may have read it. Basically, a couple Exercise Science PhDs from Taiwan wrote about how to create muscle growth. While sharing everything they said in its entirety is beyond the scope of this blog, they proposed a new theory on how muscle grows. Continue reading →

I started out on my health and fitness journey back when I was going into junior high. I saw a picture of myself cliff jumping at the lake, and I had jelly rolls. Dang. I knew that my weight was starting to get a little high due to my mini-muffin intake, but it wasn’t until that moment that I got a slap in the face from reality.

Well, in that moment I made a choice. I could do two things.

1. Do nothing about it. Eat mini-muffins to my heart’s content and deny the inevitable truth that I was in a precarious position that could lead to adult obesity and debilitating disease.

2. Take Action. Realize that having jelly rolls isn’t what I want. I don’t want to be fat, and I don’t want to be limited in life.